This week was a week that just seemed to come together quite well. I was looking for something to inspire me to write a new recipe for the site, then my mom came through the door with a big chunk of pork shoulder and asked me to cook it on Sunday. Problem solved.
A few years ago I tested a recipe for pulled pork and took it into my work at the time and managed to feed 8 people, it was a resounding success but I have always wanted to tweak it but never got round to it. So today I give you the fully tweaked and improved recipe for a very satisfying and very fun meal that can provide something different at your BBQ’s this year or put a new spin on your dinner parties… By the way, this one is best done before bed as it cooks while your asleep!
What you will need:
- A slow cooker
- One 500ml bottle of green goblin cider (or preferred alternative)
- around 2kg of pork shoulder. Fat removed.
- 1/4 bottle of Worcestershire sauce
- 4 tablespoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons garlic granules
- 1 tablespoon powdered ginger
- 100ml quality chicken stock
- Salt
- White pepper
To add for the sauce:
- One tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 tube of tomato puree
- 3 teaspoons of cornflour
Method:
- Make sure the pork fits into the slow cooker, if not cut it down a little. Add the cider (take a sip just to make sure its not poisonous!)
- Add all of the other ingredients and mix well to create and intriguing little bath for the pork. Delicately place all of the pork into the slow cooker and put the lid on. Turn the slow cooker on to ‘slow’. Go to bed.
Day 2
- After 14 hours of cooking I removed the pork (slowly and carefully as by this point it just falls apart) and put it onto a separate plate. Remove the cooking elixir and pour into a saucepan on a high heat. Add all of the additional sauce ingredients apart from the cornflour and reduce for 15 minutes.
- Transfer the pork back into the slow cooker and tear apart with a pair of forks. it wont put up much of a fight by now!
- Now mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the sauce, simmer on a medium to low heat for an additional 5 minutes until it thickens. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
- Add a few ladles of the sauce back into the pork and mix well.
14 hour pulled pork
Serve it however you like, its very versatile. On taco’s, in wraps, a big wholemeal bun…anything. Either way its very simple and effective way to feed your friends and family. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
TIP: You should have quite a lot of sauce left, so bottle it and make sure you use it for any meat that needs a pick me up. Ribs, steak, sausages or anything else you find appealing. Also if you want it a little bit (or a lot) spicier don’t be afraid to just whack in a good helping of dried chili flakes when you first start the process with the pork. Alternatively use some of this beautiful stuff, available online here http://www.mysecretkitchen.co.uk/products-passport/index.html to add a real southern American kick.
